The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-01-09
KINKS OF THE KEY.
Amusing Anecdotes Told by
Reporters and Operators.
BULLS AND THEIR EFFECTS
take Doz. PilIs"-The Indiyid uai-
ity of OperatOrs-The Interview
with schih.

originally telegraph operators, says tt;
Washington correspondent of the New
York Sun. In the course of a genera
conversation on the subject of tele
graphy the other night number of in.
teresting "reminiscences were stated.
1T was my knowledge of telegraphy,
said the correspondent of prominen
western newspaper, that enabled me
to get startiu newspaper work. Nearly
seven years ago the old Cincinnati
Gazette rented a private wire connecting
General Boynton's Office in Washing
ton with the editorial-rooms of the
Gazette. l was employed as the opera
tor at the Cincinnati end. l had nat
ural fondness for newspaper reporting
which the city editor encouraged by
giving me an assignment occasionally
whenever pressure of work kept the
regular staff otherwise employed. One
day Colonel Wilson, the railway editor
came into my office.
Il will give you an opportunity of
earning $40 and securing great deal OF
credit besides, said he, dropping into a
chair, If you succeed in finding gen.
| tleman whose name l will give you,
and getting an interview with him.
| The gentleman is Charles Schiff, He
has been sent to this country from
| England as the representative of the
Erlanger syndicate, which is trying to
secure lease of the Cincinnati Southern
Railway. You will see at once it is a
matter of very general interest to the
people of Cincinnati. The officials of
the road refuse to talk, and Schiff, who
has been in the city several days, can
not be found, although be is registered
a: the Grand Hotel. Now, if you can
find Schiff and get an interview with
him 1 will see that you receive the
proper credit at headquarters for it.
Il promised to do the best could
and, without any clearly defined pur-
pose in view, left the Office and walked
up 10 the Grand Hotel. The clerk as
sured me upon inquiry that, although
Mr.. Schitt was registered there, lie had
not seen him for several days. What
to do next l couldn't tell. Mr.. Schiff
was stranger to me. could form no
lea where he could be found, and in
my dilemma l started to leave the
hotel. AS l did so two gentleman en-
tered from the street. AS they passed
me the one who was talking spoke with
an accent so English that it instantly
occurred to me that this might be the
very man l was looking FIR.
Il retraced my steps, but before l
could oYertake them they had halted in
front OF the the little telegraph Office in
the corner, where the one had over
heard began writing dispatch. l
took position within sound of the in
strument and began scribbling away.
upon a suppositiOus dispatch myself.
The young lady in charge received her
pay for the dispatch and started to send
only in the signature. When that was
reached the ms rument clicked off the
name Charles Schiff."
Ali | have found YOU at last" was
my mental comment; now for my in
tervieW."
Approaching, introduced myself.
"How did you know it was | ?" he ex-
claimed, in some surprise. l evaded the
question the best | could and proceeded
to urge him for the interview, but he cut
me short by saying:
"Wlll you print it precisely as die
tate it if give you the Information
II promised with great promptness.
Then, said he, there is but one other
condition, Tell me how you knew me.
have put myself to no end of pains to
conceal my identity, and was fiattering
myself that l should leave the city to-
night and give you all the Slip
Il gave him the Information. He
llughed heartily and said: You de-
serve the news tor your ingenuity We
went up to his room, and at the end of
an hour the interview was written. The
next morning the Gazette loaded the
story and made II the feature OF the
paper. The other papers printed a
brief paragraph, something like this:
Charles Schitf, of London, whose pres
e ace in Cincinnati for several days has
had reference, it is believed, to the pur-
chase of the Cincinnati Southern road,
left the city last night for New Orleans
without any Of the newspaper men
being able to secure an interview
This interview gave me the chance l
had been seeking to become 8 reporter"
Il remember" continued the same
speaker, IAN excusable error l commit
ted while employed in the Boston office
some years ago. There lived in Win
chendon, Mass. gentleman by the
name OF Murdoch, the president of the
Cheshire Railway Company, a stock
holder in number of local banking
houses, and the owner OF considerable |
real estate in Boston. Shortly before !
the incident am about to relate hap
pened. Mr.. Murdoch opened a branch |
office in Boston, This office was placed |
in charge of Mr.. Buckminster, whose
family resided in WincheDdon. One |
day Murdoch telegraphed to Buck
minister TO mail him at once some i'm
portant papers in a lawsuit. Buck
minister was i'll at his lodgings with a
severe cold, and directed his clerk to |
that fact to Murdoch, in order |
that Murdoch might understand the |
reason of the delay. The clerk, instead !
Of sending message fully explaining
the matter, merely wrote: 'Buckmins-
ter is sick. >"
How it happened l never knew, ex-
% IT that | was more dead than alive
Wnen L went on duty. When that dis
itch reached Winchendon it read:
BIckminister is dead The news
travelled fast, and in less than thirty
[ am told, the whole town
va in an uproar Mrs. Buckminister
passed rapidly from one faintiDg fit to
another. Murdock was frantic with
ear lest Buckminister had proved a
lefaUitpT and then committed Suicida